One year post-diagnosis and the loneliness is hitting hard
It’s been a long time since I last posted here. I know this journey has its ups and downs, but right now, I’m facing a significant down.
I’m officially one year out from my diagnosis, and the feeling that "nobody cares" is getting intense. No one asks how I’m actually doing anymore. When they do, I get the typical: "You’ll be fine" or "I feel the weather/get tired too."
Lately, I just don’t feel like myself. Whenever I’m outside walking through the city, everything feels "off." I can’t quite put my finger on it,I don't know if my vision has changed or if my health is just slowly declining, but the world feels different.
Nobody understands what I’m talking about because they just see a "sporty young man." I’ve never felt this lonely or anxious in my life. As a guy, it feels especially hard to talk to friends about this. The last time I tried to open up, I mentioned being mentally exhausted and that my legs felt heavy/off. My friend just laughed and said, "Haha, at least you can skip leg day."
It feels like nobody takes this seriously because I don't "look" sick. I'm struggling to navigate a world that looks the same but feels completely foreign now.
Has anyone else dealt with this "off" feeling in public spaces? And how do you deal with the isolation when your friends just don't get it?